The Stobhill campaign will come face-to-face with the minister

Controversial changes at Stobhill Hospital will be examined at a public meeting, which Andy Kerr is attending.

Plans for the site include removing inpatient beds and services and replacing the casualty department with a minor injuries unit.

Protesters will get a chance to tackle the minister directly at St Mary's Church hall in Kirkintilloch.

The minister will hear the board's proposals before taking questions from the audience at Monday's meeting.

Greater Glasgow Health Board plans to modernise Stobhill to provide a full range of out-patient day care and day surgery.

This would ensure that local access was retained for the vast majority of patient who use the hospital at the moment, a spokeswoman said.

Alternative plans

Critics have suggested their own plans for the future of Stobhill, including transforming it into a centre of excellence for the rehabilitation of stroke, heart attack and car crash victims.

A 43,000-signature petition against the changes has already gone to the Scottish Parliament.

The speaker of the House of Commons last year joined the battle to save the hospital, which is in his Springburn constituency.

Michael Martin took the unusual step of breaking with parliamentary protocol and campaigned for it not to be downgraded.

At the Scottish Parliament election in 2003, retired GP Jean Turner unseated Labour MSP Brian Fitzpatrick in Strathkelvin and Bearsden.

The independent candidate was campaigning against the plans for Stobhill.

NHS protests

Campaigners across Scotland have launched protests against plans to centralise hospital services from the Highlands to the Lothians.

Amid the growing protests, the Scottish Executive last year asked cancer specialist Professor David Kerr to review the future of NHS organisation.

A spokeswoman for NHS Greater Glasgow said in March that the proposed changes to Stobhill were part of a wider �750m plan to transform Glasgow's hospital services, replacing outdated buildings with better facilities.

She added: "Planning is at an advanced stage for the building of two brand new hospitals at the Stobhill and the Victoria sites - an investment of more than �190m."